Expert predictions say that interest rates will drop in 2024. Smart mortgage companies know what that means—be ready or be left behind.

It’s simple: When rates fall, the market heats up, and the race to grab attention gets fierce. Don’t wait for the starting gun—now’s the time to get your mortgage marketing plan in shape!

Lead the pack among your competitors by following Kaleidico’s proven 90-day mortgage marketing plan. If you’d rather get right into action, let’s talk strategy in a free discovery call.

We’re ready to huddle, strategize, and help you get ahead for when rates drop and leads come flowing in.

The current mortgage marketing landscape

With the latest forecast from Fannie Mae pointing to a downtrend in 30-year fixed rates for 2024, it’s clear that the mortgage field is about to become a marathon with a sprint finish.

If you’re not prepping now, you could miss out on the rush. Think about it—when the rates drop, the market doesn’t just warm up, it sizzles, and only the prepared will thrive.

In a lower-rate environment, mortgage seekers become a little bit more desperate and impulsive, changing from cautious observers into active and willing participants, trying to take advantage of lower interest rates while they’re still around!

The surge of buyer activity amidst falling mortgage rates

Consider the anticipation of lower interest rates as the calm before the storm—a storm of ringing phones and the influx of mortgage inquiries, that is.

It’s predictable: As soon as the news starts broadcasting “mortgage rates are decreasing,” mortgage companies can expect a huge uptick in traffic and phone calls from people anxiously awaiting this moment.

This uptick isn’t just a trickle—it’s a HUGE opportunity, with potential buyers emerging en masse, looking to snatch up favorable mortgage terms.

Implement your mortgage marketing plan now

Here’s the strategy: invest in your mortgage marketing now, before the rate drop triggers a home-buying spree.

Position your business at the forefront, primed to handle the surge in client interest.

By the time the rates decrease, your brand should already be a trusted name in the mortgage industry, one step ahead of competitors who lagged behind.

It’s a simple equation—today’s marketing efforts will be tomorrow’s sales victories.

By fortifying your online visibility today—optimizing your mortgage website, engaging on social media platforms, and publishing helpful blogs—you’re broadening your digital reach.

The better your online presence, the more likely your mortgage business will get found in Google searches, YouTube searches, or in the inboxes of potential homebuyers or home refinancers.

By the time the rates have dropped and the market buzz hits its peak, your mortgage business could be the go-to expert, riding the wave of buyer enthusiasm all the way to the bank.

The 4 main components of your mortgage marketing strategy

As the mortgage landscape prepares for an anticipated drop in interest rates, developing a well-rounded mortgage marketing strategy is not just beneficial—it’s critical.

Here’s how you can craft a comprehensive marketing approach that’s as dynamic as the market itself.

1. Content marketing

Kickstart your online presence with targeted keyword research and seed words that make your blog posts stand out in Google searches.

Plan out a strategic editorial calendar that ensures consistent, SEO-optimized blog posts, positioning your mortgage business as a thought leader and drawing in prospective clients.

• Keywords example: “refinance rates,” “home buying tips”
• Editorial calendar entry: “5 Steps to Your First Home Purchase” scheduled for January to align with New Year resolutions.

2. Lead generation

Use a wide variety of online content (blogs, videos, images) from educational articles about loan scenarios to timely market news.

Boost your content’s reach with social media, guest posts, and email campaigns that funnel potential leads to your landing pages.

• Social media post idea: Create an infographic on current vs. historical mortgage rates.
• Guest post topic: Write and publish “The Impact of Economic Changes on Mortgage Availability” for a finance blog to direct their readers back to your website (known as a backlink).

3. CRM and sales automation

Implement an efficient CRM system to track leads effectively, and use sales automation tools to manage your follow-up processes automatically.

This tech-savvy approach ensures no opportunity for engagement to slip through the cracks.

• CRM example: Tracking a lead’s website activity and alerting a sales rep to follow up.
• Automation example: An email sequence triggered by a lead downloading a mortgage guide.

4. Lead nurturing and retention

Stay connected with your prospects through automated messaging, targeted digital ads, and fresh blog content.

These tools keep your audience engaged, building a community around your brand that’s ready to act when rates drop.

• Automated messaging: A bi-weekly newsletter with market insights and home maintenance tips.
• Digital Ads sample: Retargeting ads featuring a mortgage calculator to users who visited loan pages.

Our proven 90-day mortgage marketing plan summary

This 90-day marketing plan provides a proven framework for lenders to use content marketing, lead generation, CRM, and sales automation tools to generate more mortgage leads online.

With this plan, mortgage lenders and loan officers can nurture and retain leads, positioning themselves as trusted advisors ready to guide clients through the complexities of securing a mortgage in a market primed for activity.

Below is a strategic summary of the plan, laid out in key phases and actionable steps.

Phase 1: Laying the groundwork (days 1-30)

Here’s where we roll up our sleeves.

You’ll learn the ins and outs of content marketing setup—think keyword research to see which specific phrases your audience is searching on Google—this way you can use the same language on your website to get seen in a Google search.

Plus, we’ll sketch out those crucial audience personas to make sure we’re hitting the mark right from the get-go.

By the end of the first 30 days, you should have a solid content strategy ready to roll out.

Your website should be SEO-optimized with an editorial calendar in place, ensuring a pipeline of valuable content that will attract and educate potential clients.

Content Marketing Setup

• Develop a list of keywords and conduct extensive keyword research to align content with what prospective homebuyers are searching for online.
• Create an editorial calendar to schedule regular publications of SEO-optimized articles and blog posts.

Example of content marketing planning

• Keywords: “Affordable home loans,” “first-time buyer programs”
  “Home refinancing” “homebuying” “mortgage rates” “mortgage rates calculator”
• Editorial Calendar: Publish weekly blog posts on topics such as “Navigating Mortgage Rates in a Changing Economy” or “How to Get a Mortgage in 2024”

Lead Generation Foundations

• Define target audience personas to tailor content and outreach effectively.
• Establish a series of educational content pieces that provide value to prospects, like loan scenario guides and market news update newsletters.

Example of lead generation foundations

• Persona: “The Budget-Conscious First-Time Homebuyer” or “The First-Time Homebuyer” or “The Upsizing Family” or The Downsizing Retiree.”
• Educational Content: A downloadable guide titled “10 Key Steps to Securing a Low-Interest Rate Mortgage” or “Understanding Your Mortgage: Fixed Vs. Adjustable Rates.”

Phase 2: Engaging and capturing leads (days 31-60)

Now it’s time to engage with the audience you’ve identified. Your content should drive traffic as your digital marketing efforts ramp up.

You’ll also integrate your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and begin automating parts of your sales process to efficiently manage the leads coming in.

As you enter Phase 2, you should have a live blog filled with informative content tailored to your audience’s personas.

Your SEO groundwork should be attracting organic traffic, and your initial leads should be ready for engagement through your CRM.

By the end of Phase 2, your digital marketing efforts should be generating leads. You’ll have automated processes in place to capture and track these leads within your CRM, ensuring that no opportunity is missed.

Digital Marketing and Lead Generation

• Reuse, recycle, and constantly reshare content marketing pieces, such as blog posts from a website, to your social media pages, or share blog posts in email newsletters. Once a piece of content is written, it can be adapted and shared on multiple channels.
• Create landing pages specifically designed to convert traffic into leads by offering high-value resources in exchange for contact information. When people click on your Google Ads, they’ll be taken to these specific landing pages to collect their personal information.

Example of content that attracts new leads to your website

• Social Media Post: A short YouTube video explaining current mortgage trends. Remember, YouTube is the second most used search engine after Google! Start creating videos!
• Landing Page: A mortgage calculator tool that requires an email signup to access. Having interactive tools on your website can attract more visitors.

CRM Integration and Sales Automation

• Implement a CRM system to track lead interactions and data.
• Set up automated messaging sequences for follow-ups to nurture leads through the sales pipeline. These are called “drip” campaigns that automatically send new emails every time your visitor interacts with your website or emails.

Examples of how CRMs generate and nurture your mortgage leads

• CRM Feature: Lead scoring based on engagement and potential value. Find out which leads are the most sales-ready, and start by calling them first.
• Sales Automation: An email series triggered by specific behaviors, like visiting a pricing page multiple times. Again, these are called “drip campaigns.”

Phase 3: Conversion and client acquisition (days 61-90)

In this final stretch, you’ll focus on converting the leads into clients. This involves advanced lead nurturing tactics, refining your sales strategies, and further optimizing your CRM processes.

You’re not just closing sales—you’re building relationships for future business.

Entering Phase 3, you should have a clear understanding of your lead quality, thanks to the tracking and automation set up in Phase 2.

You’ll also have a suite of engagement tools at your disposal, from email campaigns to social media outreach.

At the close of 90 days, you will have streamlined the process of turning prospects into clients. Your CRM should be fine-tuned to help manage these new relationships, and your sales team empowered with tools and information to close deals effectively.

With each phase building upon the last, by the end of this 90-day plan, your mortgage marketing efforts should not only be attracting leads but converting them into clients who trust in your services for one of their most significant financial decisions.

Lead Nurturing and Retention

• Develop an automated email marketing campaign to keep your prospects engaged with regular updates on mortgage rates and home-buying tips.
• Use digital advertising (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc) to stay in front of leads, especially those who have shown interest but have not yet converted.

Example of lead nurturing and retention tactics

• Automated Email: A monthly “Mortgage Watch” newsletter.
• Retargeting ads: A retargeting campaign focuses on individuals who have left the loan application process midway on your website. Known as “retargeting” or “remarketing” ads, these ads place a tracking cookie in your website visitors’ browser. Then when they leave, you can show your ad to them on millions of different websites. Pretty sneaky, huh?

Sales Strategy and CRM Optimization

• Refine the sales strategy based on CRM data to improve conversions.
• Optimize CRM follow-up processes, ensuring that leads are nurtured with personalized, timely communications.

Example of sales strategy and CRM optimization

• Sales Strategy Adjustment: Offering a free consultation call to leads who’ve shown high engagement but haven’t applied for a mortgage.
• CRM Optimization: Custom reminders for sales reps to follow up with high-potential leads.

Take charge of your mortgage marketing plan with Kaleidico today!

As mortgage rates are poised to drop, a window of opportunity opens. Make sure that your mortgage company shows up in online searches when homebuyers are ready to make the call.

Don’t get left behind—partner with Kaleidico, a mortgage marketing agency with a proven track record since 2005, offering you the expertise of an entire marketing team for the investment in one.

Catapult your mortgage marketing strategy and connect with customers who are just waiting to discover your services.